My Old Kentucky Home

This past Sunday David and I went to the Kentucky State Fair for the first time! We bought tickets with a couple of friends to go to the Maroon 5 and Train concert and then a couple weeks ago we realized that the concert was at the fair so we decided, what the heck, while we are in Louisville we might as well see what the fair is all about as well.

It was… interesting. And fun. And entertaining. Oh, and completely exhausting. Apparently walking around in the sun all day, eating lots of fried food and staying up until 3 in the morning is not as easy as it used to be with this preggo body of mine. On Monday I felt like I might die, and yesterday wasn’t that much better. However, today I feel pretty recovered and thus I have the energy to write again :)

I was born and raised in Kentucky. This is a completely true statement. However, I always feel like I should add an asterisk after it, like I need to qualify this fact. Because I was born in Louisville, KY while my parents were finishing up college and then before I have any memory we moved to Northern Kentucky (the infamous NKY which I speak of). Northern Kentucky is much more a huge suburb of Cincinnati than it is a part of the good ole Bluegrass state. Where I grew up there were lots of movie theaters and malls, there were public schools with 800+ people in them, and the word “wash” did not have a silent “r” in it. 

You see, even though I have lived my entire life in Kentucky up until a few years ago I had never drank and Ale 8, seen a horse farm, watched the Kentucky derby, or seen a tobacco plant. Even at this point I have yet to try Kentucky bourbon, be told that I have an accent, or understand where this term “bluegrass” comes from. I used to be thankful that I was somewhat removed from the “real Kentucky”. The state with the horrible stereotypes and education system. However, moving to Lexington has definitely made me open my heart a little bit to things like southern hospitality, supporting local farms and camping. I have really come to appreciate my state a lot and enjoy all of the beauty and fun things that it brings along.

So here are a few pictures for you to see for yourself what the fair was like!

It was such a beautiful day! I was thankful I couldn’t ride anything because I am a sucker for amusement park rides but I have always heard that the ones at the fair are particularly not safe.

And there was of course the fair fare (David kept using this phrase and I kept getting confused and then we talked about how much better of a pun it is when you write it out rather than just say it. So that was for him I guess.) He got a HUGE smoked turkey leg for lunch while I played it safe with my all-time-favorite-food, a corn dog. It was awesome. We also had a shaken lemonade, a caramel apple and a funnel cake throughout the day. The craziest food we saw: A burger whose bun was two Krispie Kream doughnuts….

There were lots of competitions. One of which was a wedding cake decorating competition.

And of course an ugly lamp competition…

What fair would be complete without a huge showing of farm animals?? Definitely not the Kentucky Fair!

Ah… all in all we had a fantastic time! We enjoyed a great dog show (I am a sucker for pups in general, but especially ones that can catch frisbees while doing back flips!), took a walk through the display of Kentucky Counties, petted some baby ducks and soaked up the hot, August sun.

Photo opp in front of the fountain!

Oh yea, and there was one other little thing that we did… WE SAW MAROON 5 AND TRAIN IN CONCERT!!!

This was the Hall the the concert was held in. It was so, so awesome. Train and Maroon 5 are two of our most favorite bands so when David and I found out they were in concert together in our humble home state we decided that we had to get tickets. We squeezed the budget and made the tickets count for each other birthday presents and it was totally worth it. Train was so entertaining and Maroon 5 was like 10 times better than they are on their CDs which is saying a lot.

What a great experience! I am so glad that we went to the Kentucky State Fair. As it has been with most things Kentuckian, I find that once I open my mind a little bit and start experiencing all the state has to offer I fall more and more in love with it.

Goodnight ya’ll :)

Week 24

I am 24 weeks pregnant!! Actually 24 weeks and 2 days since it is Saturday. That means I am 6 months along… and I only have 3 more weeks left in the second trimester. Time is just flying.

How far along? 24 weeks.

Total weight gain: 13 pounds. Since I am now regularly going to the gym again I will actually start knowing how much weight I gain from week to week rather than month to month which is good I guess :)

Updates on Baby: (Thanks to WhatToExpect) Your baby is about eight and a half inches long and weighs one and a half pounds, gaining steadily at a rate of six ounces per week. Much of that weight comes from accumulating baby fat, as well as from growing organs, bones, and muscle. Those little ears of hers are getting sharper and can hear very loud sounds, from a yapping dog to a jackhammer. Also by now, that fabulous face is almost fully formed, complete with eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair. Is your baby a brunette, a blonde, or a redhead? Actually, right now her locks are white since there’s no pigment yet.

Maternity Clothes: You betcha! In fact this week’s pictures are taken in some of my old  tank tops and I feel like I look so much bigger. Most days I wear maternity tops now and I think in a couple weeks I will be going back to the Gap Clearance Store to try to find a nice pair of black maternity capris that I can wear to teach in.

Symptoms/Body Changes: I definitely have some carpal tunnel syndrome popping up, which is normal, and my hair and nails are growing like crazy! This week I noticed that my appendages seemed to fall asleep really easily which I am sure is just caused by my changes in circulation. My skin and scalp have also been noticeably dry so I try to lotion up every day and shower in cooler water (aka normal-temperature water. My hubby has informed me that I like my showers to be scalding hot!). Another symptom which was really annoying this week was heartburn. Yuck. I have never had any heartburn issues in the past and it bothered me quite a bit in the evenings, but later the week I tried to eat milder things and I noticed that this helped. And I think that I will just put sleep details in here too… getting comfortable to fall asleep wasn’t difficult, but staying asleep was due to leg cramps and belly pains (when I try to stretch) in the middle of the night. My body just feels really tight everywhere… maybe I should try more yoga!

Exercise: You will be so proud of me! I have exercised every day this week and I feel so wonderful because of it. I think it has helped me to sleep better and it gives me so much more energy each day. Here is the run down:

Monday - Yoga, 2 mile walk to Starbucks with the pup and hubby.

Tuesday - 3 mile walk

Wednesday - 4 mile walk

Thursday - 3 mile walk, prenatal pilates (standing pilates, core workout, stretching). I found these great 10 minute videos on YouTube where the instructor is 36 weeks preggo. They are very professionally done and she is so encouraging and motivating!

Friday - 2 mile walk to the park with Rooney

Saturday - Elliptical for 20 minutes, then weights at the gym. I did biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, upper back, squats, lunges and abs. I also stretched really well at the end!

Like I said I have felt wonderful as I push myself a little bit more. I am not working out as intensely as I did before I got pregnant, obviously, but I really hope to be able to build some strength back up which I lost when I was so sick.

One time this week I got too ambitious when I attempted to climb 8 flights of stairs to my office when I was already a little hungry. That was dumb and I won’t do it again… I was SO exhausted when I got the top!

Movement: She is still our crazy little mover in there! I can now feel her move even when I am standing up and sometimes it throws me a bit off guard. I love it every time. This Friday while I was meeting with my professor for my independent study she was seriously doing some kick-boxing in my belly. There were some really big kicks and they were so high! Most of the time I feel her rolling around lower in my belly, but my favorite is definitely when I can feel and see her move right around my belly button… so fun. Also, this may be off topic, but I read this week that my uterus is about the size of a soccer ball. A soccer ball! There is something that big in my stomach, and it is crazy to me.

Cravings: The unhealthy pregnancy cravings hit this week. I want dessert all the time. Ice cream, brownies, muffins, doughnuts; you name it. I have been pretty good about not indulging too much. We got some ice cream at the store and most nights I will allow myself a small scoop (we got some cute little bowls just for this purpose). This way the craving is satisfied but the portion is controlled, and I am convinced that ice cream helps heartburn :)  On the first day of school David and I ate lunch together and we both got these amazing chocolate muffins from the cafeteria… YUM! But I kinda felt guilty about that one.

Aversions: Nothing really stood out this week. I am back eating cheese yogurt and eggs normally now… Yay! Meat is also getting a lot easier to stomach, and my sense of smell seems to have decreased a bit which is nice. For a while there I had to leave our apartment any time our cat used the litter box.

What I miss: Fitting in to the normal college crowd. I definitely stand out on UK’s campus with my baby belly; at the gym, in my department, in my classes and as a teacher. I am not super self conscious about it but I definitely notice looks from others. I just want to say, “Yes, I am pregnant. And in school. And teaching. Deal with it.” Everyone who I have talked to is so wonderful, encouraging, excited and sweet. It is mostly just the sideways glances from strangers that I notice and I am not used to standing out in any way I guess.

What I am looking forward to: My first baby shower is a week from today!!! I am pumped about it. Have a told you that I am having 7? Yes, I said 7. Two on David’s side, two on my family’s side, 1 for lexington friends, 1 for NKY dance friends, and 1 for math friends. David and I are pretty much the most blessed and loved people and we are so grateful! Anyway, I have one on September 3rd and another on September 11th and I am very much looking forward to them. I know that we will be showered with gifts, support, and encouraging words from all around and I am sure that these showers and the things that come along with them will make the fact that we are having a baby so much more real.

Ok, now I have to go do math homework. Which is ok. We have had a great weekend already with our date at the Arboretum last night, and tonight we are planning on going to our neighborhood block party which should be fun. Oh yea, and tomorrow we are going to the KY state fair and the Maroon 5 and Train concert!!!!! I am sure I will post on that early next week.

Happy weekend.

I kind of love hanging out with my dog… is this weird? I mean he likes to do the same things I do: walk, hang out at parks, meet other dogs and people, and take naps.

I have been working at school all day and now that I am home I realize how much I have been looking forward to spending the early evening just me and my puppy… taking a walk to the park and enjoying the beautiful day!

It is date night tonight for David and I and promise to make him to take another belly picture of me so that I can do the 24 week update very soon!

Now, off to the park with my dog.

And so it begins...

Tomorrow I start the Fall 2011 semester and I have so many mixed feelings about it.

I love school… the new pens, pencils, folders and books; the new classmates and professors; the new schedules and syllabi. I really enjoy change so I am always excited to begin a brand new semester! It feels very refreshing to begin again, to have a fresh start. I also love school because I truly LOVE learning and I guess I kind of like math too :) I am so excited to be challenged intellectually for another 4 months.

I also love to teach and tomorrow I will begin my experience as a Math Excel Teaching Assistant. I was fortunate enough to be selected to be a teaching assistant for this special program which was developed by the math department 20ish years ago. The model for it was proposed by Uri Treisman at UC Berkley (aka a super smart guy at an awesome school), and UK has been recognized numerous times for its success in also implementing the program. Pretty much out of the 1,000 students taking Calculus this fall at UK, about 100 of them chose to sign up for 2 extra hours of class time a week. They go to lecture for 3 hours each week, and then I get to meet with 30 of them for an hour and a half three days a week. In my class they will work on supplemental worksheets (not their homework) in groups and I will simply walk around and help when needed. The idea is that they fight with mathematics themselves… try things, teach one another, and practice a lot. Programs of this type have had a ton of success in the past… i.e. the students who work together on math rather than by themselves tend to do a lot better on the exams. It is going to be a great opportunity for me to develop my teaching skills as well as build real relationships with these 30 students since I will be seeing them so often.

It is probably pretty clear now why I am in grad school… I am a huge nerd and I love to teach. However, I am also nervous for the semester to start because by the end of it WE WILL HAVE A BABY! As in our little girl’s due date is the Thursday of Finals week. Obviously we don’t know exactly when our bundle of joy will decide to show up, but it will most likely happen very quickly after the semester ends, if not before. And I know how the semesters just FLY by. So for that reason it is a bit overwhelming to think that it begins tomorrow. With the exams, studying, grading, homework, etc. I know that the weeks will just start to fly by and then all of the sudden it will be December! And we will have a baby…

Don’t get me wrong, I am obviously excited about my pregnancy journey progressing and the prospect of meeting our daughter. I can just sense that these next few months will zoom by and I really don’t want to take a second for granted. Even as I work hard as a student and as a teacher I want to make sure I am cherishing every kick and tumble inside of me, every baby shower, every day that I wake up with a BIGGER belly, every moment of peace that David and I will share together, every adventure that we will have this fall and winter.

Deep breath in….

It is going to be a good semester. In fact I think that 2011 will turn out to be a fantastic year. By the end of this calendar year I will hopefully have published a paper, taken a master’s exam, be 3 credit hours away from finishing my Masters Degree, inspired a few students, and, most importantly, grown and birthed a beautiful baby girl. It is so crazy how fast life goes by and how quickly things can change. But it is truly a beautiful ride.

Twentythree!

Another week has come and gone already! This was my week “off” between work and school. I didn’t have many plans other than to prepare for the coming semester, and it is a good thing because I have kept myself plenty busy. Between cleaning our apartment, making phone calls, shopping for school supplies and getting ready to teach I have had lots to do and thus the time has just flown.

How far along? 23 weeks.

Total weight gain: 13 pounds! I got weighed at the doctor yesterday and was so surprised that I had gained so much. I am now at the low end of the “normal” range for weight gain at this point which I am really happy about. Now that I finally feel myself again and love to eat I will be a little bit more health conscious and try not to gain 8 pounds in 4 weeks again, not that I care that much but I do want to be gaining the right kind of weight :)

Updates on Baby: (Thanks to BabyCenter)

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she’s more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby’s increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won’t faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Maternity Clothes: Oh yes! Look at this pile of awesome maternity clothes that I got from my sister-in-law-to-be.

I got some GREAT stuff to use while I am pregnant and it is such a relief! It is all very nice, from Motherhood Maternity and such. I might be the best dressed that I ever have been while I am pregnant. I am mostly still wearing my own bottoms with the BeBand, but I find maternity shirts so much more comfortable at this point. You can just tell they are made to fit pregnant bodies and it really does make a difference in how I feel. They flatter my bump so much more and I feel great in them!

Symptoms/Body Changes: I changed this topic from “Eating” because I feel like my appetite and such is back to normal as long as I take my nausea medicines and I think it should stay this way for the rest of the pregnancy.

However there are lots of other changes going on! My back, sides and ribs have been giving me some pain lately, especially if I sit up for too long. I started some prenatal pilates videos this week and I think they helped a little bit so I plan to keep that up. I am also experiencing some aches in my legs, especially if I try to walk any distance in flip flops, and aches in my hands and wrists. Apparently all of these mild pains are completely normal and they never bother me enough to take any medicine.

While my belly continues to get rounder my belly button pushes out more and more. It isn’t close to popping out completely yet, but it has definitely changed its shape… So crazy! Another change that I have noticed this week is the texture of my hair. I have always had fine, soft hair but lately it is noticeably more coarse. And yes, my nails are growing like crazy too!

Sleep: I was about to take this topic off also, but last night I had some sleep troubles so I guess there is an update on this. I woke up a few times with pains in my back and in my belly so I will start to try harder to sleep on my side with a pillow in between my legs since I have read this is best.

Exercise: Over the summer I have taken somewhat of a break from exercise. I have been walking regularly, but I think that it was a good idea to take some time off anything intense while I gained some weight back and also gained some everyday strength again after I was so sick. But now that I feel like my old self I have picked up my workouts too and it feels great! I walked 4 times this week (about 4 miles each) and this is a pretty good cardio challenge since I do it outside and pretty quickly. I have also done prenatal pilates, as I mentioned above, 3 times (I just do some videos I found on YouTube!). Next week the semester starts so I plan on getting into a workout routine that will include walking, weight training, pilates and yoga. I will keep you updated as my schedule gets set!

Movement: O ur tiny dancer is a crazy mover! Yesterday I saw her move in my belly for the first time and it was amazing… and honestly a little freaky. In the mornings she usually does a gymnastics routine with somersaults and flips, while in the evenings she does more quick, sharp kicks. These kicks are the things that I can really see from the outside. So cool. I love feeling her move!

Cravings: Nothing in particular, but I am very excited to be eating cheese and yogurt on a regular basis again! Also, tonight I had eggs for dinner and they weren’t too bad. I have had a sweet tooth lately, but I have tried to keep it under control :) 

Aversions: Nothing grossed me out too much this week… I didn’t take my Zofran on Monday or on Thursday and both days I got sick. But even the things that I couldn’t keep down don’t sound bad to me. It was kind of bizarre when I got sick… less of a sick-to-my-stomach feeling and more of an intense gag reflex. Maybe that was TMI.

What I miss: Having hands and wrists that don’t ache! That is about it. 

What I am looking forward to: Hm… tonight David and I are going to see a movie so I am pumped about that. Also, I start classes on Wednesday and like always I am SO excited. I think I could go to school my whole life. As I start school again I am also excited to see my old math friends and share my exciting news with everyone. It is kind of weird because when school ended I was just throwing up all the time, not able to tell anyone what was happening and now I am almost 6 months pregnant! They are all in for a shock I guess.

Now off to our Friday night date! Happy weekend :)

I was that pregnant lady...

I have a funny story to tell you. It happened two days ago and wasn’t very funny at the time, but today David and I have cracked up a few times while thinking about it. Here it goes…

So our lives have been crazy lately. Actually they have been crazy for about 2 1/2 years, but ever since we have gotten back from vacation we have had a lot of things to take care of before school starts. David is still working full time and was is in NKY for two days this week for his job up there, so it took some careful thought and planning to make sure I got the house cleaned, tuition paid, groceries, school supplies and books bought, etc. since I have been without a car for the past 48 hours or so.

We had a plan: on Tuesday (my last day with the car till Friday) I was going to make the big Walmart trip to get our weekly groceries, school supplies and much needed pet things (Rooney got some sand fleas while in Florida with us!). I really hate grocery shopping, but I try to do it weekly because it helps with our budget and I really, really hate Walmart. But again, it is cheap so I go there and brave the crowds, parking lot and long lines.

You know how they say, “when it rains, it pours”? I don’t like to use that phrase much because it seems to me to be overly dramatic and a bit pessimistic. However, on this particular day I said it. Because there were lots of little tiny things that played into the disaster in Walmart. It was kind of like a perfect storm.

Little thing #1: David’s credit card broke a few months back and we ordered him a new one.. which hadn’t come yet. So he had mine in his wallet.

Little thing #2: Literally the day before I had gotten a new debit card in the mail because mine expires at the end of this month. I had tried to activate it but apparently I don’t know my PIN..

Little thing #3: My pregnancy brain made me forget to get our grocery cash from the envelope before I left for the store.

I bet you know where this is going.

So I shop and shop. I put a lot of thought into getting the right colors and types of school supplies because I am OCD and picky about that kind of thing. I wander from one side of the HUGE store to the other since I have to buy everything from bread to dog shampoo to door locks. I wait in a LONG line. My stomach starts rumbling as I wait so I throw a small bag of peanut M&M’s on the belt along with a pack of my favorite gum. And then the nice lady scans everything in and places the groceries in my eco-friendly reusable shopping bags. Then I look in my wallet and realize that my only form of payment is my debit card. I scan it… it doesn’t work. I scan it again… still doesn’t work. The nice lady says, “try to run it as debit, sometimes that works.” I try even though I am confident that I don’t know the correct PIN number.

And then I realize… I can’t pay for any of these things. I have no cash, my hubby has the credit card, my debit card isn’t working probably because I tried to activate the new one. What do I do now??

I try to stay calm as I move to the side completely mortified. I am that pregnant lady… the one who can’t pay for her cart load of groceries. The one that forgot the cash. As I am painfully unloading all of things out of my reusable bags David calls. I think I would have been ok if he hadn’t called, but as soon as I hear his voice, I lose it. Now I am really that pregnant lady… the one who can’t pay for her cart load of groceries… and is crying in the middle of Walmart.

Once I get out of the store and bawl a bit to David in the car I compose myself and start driving away. My husband is wonderful and always knows how to calm me down so I just listen to his comforting and reassuring words while I drive. Then I reach into my purse for something… and feel the bag of M&M’s and the gum. The ones I put on the belt as I was waiting. The ones that the nice lady suggest I just put right in my purse… the ones I didn’t end up paying for. I start laughing and then explain to David that I accidentally stole some candy and he starts laughing too.

Then everything is much better and those M&M’s are some of the best candy I have ever tasted.

Everything worked out. In the moment my hormones and emotions were raging. I felt crazy and helpless and like I had just wasted SO much time. I definitely had no perspective. But later that night David and I went back out to the same Walmart with money in hand and got in and out in less than 20 minutes. No big deal.

It was pretty hilarious.

Week 22, at the beach!

Alas, I am no longer at the beach. We just finished the 12 hour car ride a little bit ago and I am settling in for bed. I couldn’t take myself away from the waves and sun to type an update on Thursday this past week, but late is better than never!

How far along? 22 weeks.

Updates on Baby:

(Thanks to BabyCenter, except I changed all the “his”s to “her”s and “he”s to “she”s!!)

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she’s even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you’d be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she’ll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Maternity Clothes? Still not sporting any officially although I am hoping to get some hand-me-downs from family members soon. This week at the beach I sported a few of my old bikinis. I was definitely more comfortable in them than I would have been 4 weeks ago in South Carolina since my belly looks more clearly baby related lately :) I definitely need to evaluate my clothes situation as the school year starts since I have to look somewhat professional and put together to teach my Calculus students!

Eating: I am continuing to get better and better on this front. I have more days when I feel like my old self again. The one thing that has been a bit difficult lately is that if I eat a large amount at one time (or what used to be a normal amount for me), my belly literally feels way to full… like my sides, ribs and back start to hurt a bit. I don’t think that this is completely food related because I get these pains at other times too. But eating a larger amount definitely doesn’t help. Thus, I am still eating healthy snacks throughout the day since my belly can’t hold much at one time.

Sleep: Still going great! I am so thankful that sleeping has been a relief from all pregnancy symptoms so far. Even when I was terribly sick, if I could fall asleep then I would be fine. I am sleeping through the nights every night and I don’t feel the strong need for anymore afternoon naps, but I still try to get off my feet for a bit around 5 or so.

Exercise: I just love how active my vacations made me this year! Since I am less comfortable being hot when pregnant, laying out wasn’t really an option for me on vacations this year. Instead this past week I did a ton of fun and active things! I walked a lot along the Destin sidewalks and on the beach. I also did lots of swimming and wave-jumping and even got to play a little tennis. I have to be honest… a few times David had to stop me from riding some of the waves in on my tummy. Obviously that wouldn’t have been a great idea but I just love the ocean and waves! All in all, I didn’t spend anytime at the gym this week but I felt very good about my level of activity.

Movement: She is still dancing around in there like crazy! This past week my mom and brother both got to feel her kick which was really awesome. This is by far my favorite part of being preggo.

Cravings: This past week I ate way too much ice cream… I usually eat lots of ice cream on vacation though so it probably wasn’t because I am pregnant. In general fruit is still my go-to snack because it always tastes good. And I drink LOTS of water every day.

Aversions: Nothing has really grossed me out this week! I really am getting a lot better on this front. I am still picky about meat but this week I was able to get at least 1 serving in a day.

What I miss: The long car ride today definitely made me miss having a “normal” body. I know I have mentioned before that sitting for long amounts of time tends to put a strain on my back and this week my sides and ribs also started to get some aches too. Also, long car rides are a bit difficult when you have the bladder of a pregnant woman. I just miss being low maintenance I guess…

What I am looking forward to: I have a doctor appointment this Friday! It is so crazy that it is already here again. These past 4 weeks have truly flown by. I am excited to see how much weight I have gained, hear our precious girl’s heartbeat and talk the ultrasound details over with the doctor.

Now it is time for bed!! David, myself and our baby girl wish you a goodnight.

Here are a few pictures from our vacation thus far. It has been wonderful! The weather is warm, the sand is white and the waves are clear. It has been so great to relax, read and spend time with my family this week without any stress or responsibilities. My best friend Meagan and her husband Nate recently moved to Florida right down the road from where we are staying so they came to the beach with their son Alister yesterday. What a nice coincidence! I can’t wait for another day of swimming, walking, reading and napping. More pics to come as well as my 22 week update!

Twentyone

It is so crazy that yet another week has passed by. When I look back on this week, a lot has happened and I feel like I have a had a huge change in perspective. Everything is SO much more real now. Last Friday we got to see our baby move again, we found out that we will be having a daughter, and since then her tumbles and kicks in my belly have allowed David to feel her move too! My belly feels larger and larger each day… but in a lot of ways I am starting to feel really good about my body again because I look more obviously pregnant and less pudgy :)

We also got to have a calm weekend (which David and I realized Sunday we don’t have nearly enough of) and thus we could nest a bit. We cleaned out our second bedroom which functions as an office and boxed up books to make room for Baby H’s new dresser that our friends are making for us. We also rearranged our bedroom to make room for the rocking chair and the pack and play that we hope to get for our little girl to sleep in.

Here is what our bedroom looks like now!

It is definitely going to be a bit cramped. We live in an adorable apartment in the upstairs of an old house, and although it has lots of fun character it also has tiny rooms. But, I know that it will be fine for the few months that we are here with the new baby and in a way I am looking forward to having her in our room with us.

All in all I feel so much more connected to our baby than I did a week ago. I think that it has finally hit me that I am pregnant… that we are having a baby… and that it is going to happen before the end of this year! I am so excited and happy and nervous, and tons of other things. But mostly I feel so blessed and reflecting on everything I am so sure that the timing is perfect.

Now for the details in the weekly update!

(Sorry about the horribly picture quality. My hubby got held up at work and I can’t figure out for the life of me how to take pictures with a mirror).

How far along? 21 weeks

Updates on baby:  (Thanks to BabyCenter) Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she’s practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby’s eyebrows and lids are present now, and with her developing taste buds she can taste what you eat when she swallows the amniotic fluid.

Maternity Clothes? It has been SO HOT here lately, so I have been kind of uncomfortable in any clothes that I am wearing. I definitely feel like I am in a growth spurt lately and sometimes it is frustrating that my clothes just keep getting tighter and tighter. I am trying to become more comfortable with wearing things that show off my baby bump rather than hide it because it is honestly becoming hard to conceal!

Sleep?  Still going very well. I am perfectly comfortable on my back, but I try to fall asleep on my side most nights.

Eating: My appetite is good but I am noticing lately that I can’t eat very much in one sitting. I felt this way 5-ish weeks ago but then it seemed to get better. I know that everything inside of me is changing all the time so I am sure that it will continue to fluctuate as my pregnancy progresses. I know that it is good to feel full fast, but it can be a bit inconvenient, especially when we eat out since leftovers are never as good. I am still taking my nausea medicine regularly, and I will continue to do so until my job is finished and we are back from vacation. I have a week in between vacation and school when I am planning on trying to go a few days without the meds and see if the nausea is gone for good.

Exercise: I finally feel like I have my pre-pregnancy strength back! It has obviously taken a while to recover from being so sick at first but this past week I have felt wonderful while exercising. I have to admit that it can be hard to keep up the motivation to exercise when my body just keeps getting larger no matter what I do, but I have actually embraced this opportunity to view the purpose of exercise in a completely pure way. I want to continue to build up my endurance and to remain strong simply because I know that it is good for me and for my baby. This past week I walked 4 miles (quickly) on 3 separate occasions and I have lifted weights 3 times as well as worked my legs and abs using floor exercises. I always feel better after working out and I am convinced that it gives me more energy! 

Movement? She is moving like crazy and it is just the best thing in the world! She has kind of gotten on a schedule lately and it has been so fun to learn it and feel connected with her in that way. In the mornings she usually tumbles around in my belly for about 2 hours. It really just feel like she is doing somersaults. I don’t feel her much from about 10-2, but after lunch she starts to randomly nudge me lightly. After work I come home and try to lay down for about 30 minutes and she always takes this opportunity to toss and kick a little bit, and then at night when I lay down in bed is when she really goes at it! Some of her kicks have been so big lately and it is so wonderful to share these moments with David and with her. He puts his hand on my tummy and we talk to her  as we feel her move together… easily my favorite time of every day. The ultrasound tech on Friday said that she moves a lot and I am so excited to have an active little one! I know that soon I will be feeling every little movement and I really can’t wait. 

Cravings? Ice water. Air conditioning. Chocolate chip zucchini cookies.

Food aversions? I am getting less picky which is really nice! I haven’t noticed any new aversions and I am slowly trying to eat eggs, yogurt and cheese again.

What I miss: Feeling small. I am just used to being a pretty small person and lately I have just felt obviously bigger. I can’t always squeeze through small places, climb from the back seat to the front seat of a car, or stand up easily from sitting on the floor, for example. It is strange because I still have my body and I feel like I should be able to do the things I have always been able to do but I am just proportioned so differently now! It just takes some getting used to for sure. 

What I am looking forward to: Vacation in Florida with my side of the family!! We leave Sunday and I am so pumped. It will be great to experience the beach and vacation with our baby girl yet still get to lay out on the beach for hours and sleep as long as we want. I am definitely grateful for this last baby-free vacation!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies

Over the past 15 weeks not much has tasted good to me… but this past weekend I made something that I just couldn’t stop eating. Chocolate chip zucchini cookies! I know, probably not what you were expecting.

Concurrent with the start of my morning sickness back in April, David and I began receiving fresh vegetables from a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) that we signed up for with a friend. We paid an up front amount which averages about $10 a week in exchange for a small share of fresh vegetables from a local farm. One of my favorite parts of living in Lexington is all of the opportunities to eat organically and support local businesses and farmers. David and I decided in March that this spring/summer we wanted to be a part of a CSA and we were very excited. However, the timing turned out to be a bit difficult to say the least. While I was getting sick daily and David was scrambling to make his own dinners and get through finals we had no time or energy to learn how to cook kohlrabi and turnips. Fortunately, over the last few weeks we have been getting much more familiar veggies, like cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes and zucchini. And I have been feeling much better and gaining more energy to cook again!

Therefore this weekend I decided to look up some zucchini recipes. Tonight I made zucchini enchiladas and they were yummy. But the following cookie recipe definitely stole the show. It may have helped that they were a dessert since sweet things have been tasting really good lately.

I baked the cookies based on this recipe, however I changed a few things (which I usually don’t attempt). But I think it worked out really well! The cookies had a bit of a cakey texture, so I may try to cut down on the baking soda next time. Other than that they really were perfect and we are still enjoying them tonight.

Things I changed about the recipe:

Instead of using 2 cups of granulated sugar, I used 3/4 cup of brown sugar and 1 cup of white sugar. I also added 1 tsp. of vanilla, and instead of cooking them 15-20 minutes I found that about 9 minutes worked well.

Here is what I did with the zucchini:

I shredded it using a normal cheese grater (aka a sponge ruin-er… haha Mitch Hedberg).

The recipe only calls for 2 cups and we had lots more, so I just bagged it up and put it in the fridge to use tonight for the enchiladas. You can also freeze it to use later.

I shredded the zucchini before doing anything else. Then I measured out 2 cups of it, and while it was in the measuring cup I mixed in 1 Tbsp. of sugar then let it rest a bit while I made the rest of the dough. Right before adding the zucchini in I drained the excess water from it so that the cookies wouldn’t be too gooey.

Yum!

This recipe makes about 5 dozen cookies, so be ready to share! Or just eat all of them because they have to be good for you since they have zucchini in them. I don’t actually think that, but I may have been trying to convince myself of it. I felt like a pregnant woman for the first time as far as my appetite goes when I tasted these cookies! I ate 3… and then our little girl wanted 1 more :)

I hope you enjoy. Now back to watching the season finale of the Bachelorette… it is a guilty pleasure… of which I am pretty ashamed. You should feel privileged that I shared that with you.

Happy Monday!